Snap fastener



Feb. 23, 1937. J, REn-ER 2,071,576

SNAP FASTENER Filed Jan. 14, 1936 INVENTOR Har-@fdl Hefter Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE 2,071,576 SNAP FASTENER Harold J. Reiter, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 10 Claims.

This invention relates to snap fasteners and is an improvement upon the fasteners disclosed in my copending applications for patents for Sliding fastener, filed April 30, 1935, Serial No. 19,005,

and for Spring fastener, led June 20, 1935, Serial No. 27,468. In application Serial No. 19,005, I have shown a fastener in which a stud is inserted axially through an enlarged part of an opening and then moved transversely in the opening to lock it in place. In application Serial No. 27,468, the locking means consists of spring fingers extending integrally from one of the socket parts, thereby eliminating the necessity for separate springs.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a socket comprising a shell member, an apertured plate member and a separate annular spring held therebetween, which spring, however, is cut from a sheet of material in the form of a preferably complete ring with symmetrical cooperating lingers extending inwardly from the periphery of. and partway across the annular ring.

The present invention further contemplates the provision of means on the spring for preventing it from rotating relatively to the remaining socket parts.

The present invention further contemplates the provision of means for making easy and inex- 30 pensive, the assembly of the cap with the socket.

The present invention further contemplates the provision of a socket held to one side of. a sheet of material by a cap arranged on the other side of the sheet, which socket can be readily as- 35 sembled and is well adapted for economical production in large quantities.

The various objects of this invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawing, in which,

Fig. l is a vertical Section of my improved socket as it appears secured to a sheet of material and in cooperative locking engagement with a cooperating stud secured to another sheet.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of. the same, part of .the socket plate being broken away to show the overlying structure.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the three socket parts which are assembled and secured to one side of a sheet of material to form the complete 50 socket.

In the practical embodiment of my invention .which I have shown by way of example, the socket comprises three parts, namely, the plate member I0, the spring II, and the shell .or cup member 55 I2. i As shown in Fig. 3, the plate member I0 com- 14, 1936, Serial No. 59,001

prises a iiat plate-like bottom portion provided with an opening I3. Said opening has an enlarged central part I4 adapted for the reception of the stud I5 which is suitably secured to the sheet I6, and is of larger diameter than that of. 5 the stud. Extending transversely from the enlarged part I4 Vof the opening is the elongated opening part I1, which is of substantially the diameter of the neck of the stud l5. Outstanding from the periphery of the plate portion of the plate member I0 is the flange I8, said flange being bent about the lower peripheral portion of the cup or shell member l2 into the position shown in Fig. 1 when the parts are assembled.

The spring II is preferably cut in one piece from a sheet of suitable material such as brass or the like, and comprises a circular annular part or ring i9 provided with a serrated outer edge 20 foming a series of. teeth 2I in said edge. Projecting inwardly from the annular part I9 is a pair of cooperating spring fingers 22 and 23. Said fingers are symmetrically arranged about a diameter of the spring and at their bases 24, are integrally joined to the ring. Said fingers terminate a sufficient distance inwardly from the points of the ring opposite the base 24 to provide a space wherein the stud I5 may be locked between the ends of. the fingers and the inner circular edge 25 of the ring, after the stud is moved past the fingers.

Preferably, the teeth 2| are turned' upwardly at an angle to the plane of the remainder of the ring as indicated in Fig. l so that said teeth may bite into the inner surface of the flange I8 and thus prevent rotation of the spring ring relatively to the plate and maintain said fingers 22 and 23 in their correct positionsrelatively to the opening I3 of the plate. The ends 2G of said fingers are C than the diameter spaced apart a distance less of. the neck of the stud I5 so that said neck may be forced therepast in either direction, the fingers yielding when the stud is so moved transversely of the opening I3 and past said ends 26. As will be seen from Fig. 2, said erds 26 of the fingers inwardly overhang the elongated part I1 of the opening I3.

To complete the socket, the cup or shell member I2 is provided. Said shell member ls provided with a central domed portion 28 which terminates in a peripheral conical portion 29. It will be seen that the flange I8 is bent into contact with said conical portion when the shell spring therebetween, parts securely inplace.

tervals in the domed portion 28, are provided the outstanding projections 30 which enter the material 3|, on one side of which the socket is attached. Said projections thereby prevent rotation of the socket relatively to the sheet 3| to which the socket is secured.

In order to secure the socket as a unit to the sheet 3|, a central opening 32 is provided in the shell member I2 through which opening the attaching member of the socket cap (shown in the form of an eyelet) is passed and anged. Said cap comprises the inner anged eyelet member 33 having a central eyelet 34 therein adapted to be passed through the sheet 3| and through the shell member opening 32 and to be flanged on the interior face of said shell member. To permit easy ilanging of the eyelet to secure the parts together, a series of suitable short longitudinal slits as 35 extend a short distance from the end of the eyelet whereby a suitable anging tool may readily split the eyelet along the lines departs 36 on to the inner face of the shell member. The eyelet is preferably covered by a capping or covering member 3'! bent about the periphery of the eyelet member 33 and concealing the member 33.

It will be noted that the shell member, plate and spring may be pre-assembled as a unit and sold in their assembled state and that the cap member'may have its parts 33 and 3l' pre-assembled and thus sold, so that the user may assemble the cap with the socket in a manner customary in the trade. To assemble the socket parts, the spring II is dropped into the plate member |0 in such position that the lingers 22 and 23 are arranged at opposite edges of the opening I3 as shown in Fig. 2. The shell member I2 is then dropped into the plate member and into the flange I8 thereof whereafter said flange is bent portion 29 of the shell member, thus to secure the parts together and to cause to bite into the flange I8 and to pre- Ventrotation of the spring under the stresses The thus assembled socket is arranged at the desired point of the sheet 3| whereafter the eyelet 34 of the cap is forced through the the positions shown in Fig. 1.

The socket is used in operation by inserting the stud I5 axially to the enlarged part I4 of the opening I3, after which the stud is moved trans- 3| thus separated.

It' will be seen that I have provided a fastener socket and securing means therefor adapted to be manufactured economically in large quantities and well designed to meet the severe requirements of practical use.

While I have shown and described embo I claim: 1. In'a fastener of the character described; a

minating in a free end in inward spaced relation to the ring, the free ends of said ngers inwardly overhanging said opening and being spaced apart a suiTicient distance to permit the passage of a cooperating stud forcibly therepast in either direction, the ilange of said plate member being bent about the conical portion of the shell member with the spring held therebetween.

2. In a fastener of the character described, a shell member, a plate member having an elonand inwardly overhanging the opening.

3. In a fastener of the character described, a plate member having an elongated opening therethe cooperating stud.

5. In a fastener of the of the lingers.

7. A one-piece spring for a fastener of the character described comprising an uninterrupted annular ring portion having its outer peripheral edge portion bent out of the plane of the remainder of said ring portion, and a pair of studengaging ngers spaced apart throughout the lengths thereof and integral with and extending partway across said ring portion and terminating in free rounded ends.

8. A spring for a fastener of the character described, said spring being formed of a single piece of sheet material and comprising a ring portion having a serrated outer edge portion and a circular inner edge, sa'd serrated portion being bent out of the plane of the remainder of said spring, and a pair of similar fingers integral with the ring portion and extending partway thereacross and adapted to yield under the transverse pressure of a cooperating stud.

9. In a fastener of the character described, a shell member having a domed portion provided with spaced projections and with an opening, a plate member having an elongated stud-receiving opening and flanged about the periphery of the shell member, a sheet metal spring having a ring portion, part of which is bent out of the plane of the remainder thereof, said spring having fingers each integral at one end with the ring and ex-A tending partway thereacross, said spring resting on the plate member with the fingers thereof overhanging said opening, and a cap member having a preslitted eyelet, adapted to be arranged on one side of a sheet of material with the eyel-et passing through the sheet and through the opening of the shell member and flanged on to said shell member, to secure the cap member to the sheet and to the sheet member.

l0. In a socket fastener, a shell member provided With spaced projections, a plate member having an elongated stud-receiving opening therein, a peripheral flange on the plate member bent about the periphery of the shell member, a one-piece spring on the plate member, said spring having a ring portion held in place by said members and having a pair of cooperating stud-engaging iingers extending partWay across the ring portion and inwardly overhanging the elongated opening, and means adapted to be arranged on one side of a sheet of material for securing the shell member to the other side of the sheet.

HAROLD J. REITER. 

